Robot for minimally invasive neurosurgery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11974815-B2
Application number	US-202117548678-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2021
Priority date	Jan 14, 2011
Publication date	May 7, 2024
Grant date	May 7, 2024

Abstract

A robotic device for performing intracranial procedures, comprising a baseplate for mounting on the subject's skull and a rotatable base element rotating on the baseplate. The rotatable base element has a central opening through which a cannulated needle can protrude such that it can rotate around an axis perpendicular to the baseplate. This cannulated needle is robotically controlled to provide motion into and out of the subject's skull. A flexible needle is disposed coaxially within the cannulated needle, and it is controlled to move into and out of a non-axial aperture in the distal part of the cannulated needle. Coordinated control of the insertion motion of the cannulated and flexible needles, and rotation of the combined cannulated/flexible needle assembly enables access to be obtained to a volume of a region of the brain having lateral dimensions substantially larger than the width of the cannulated needle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robotic device for performing an intracranial procedure at a target region of a subject's brain, comprising:
a rotatable element configured to be mounted on a skull, and having a cavity in its central region;
wherein, when the rotatable element is mounted on the skull of the subject, the rotatable element is rotatable relative to the skull and around a longitudinal axis of the cavity extending from the central region through an opening of the cavity and into the skull of said subject;
a cannula mounted on said rotatable element coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the cavity, and which said cannula rotates with rotation of said rotatable element around said longitudinal axis of the cavity, said cannula being robotically controlled to provide motion into and out of the skull of said subject along said longitudinal axis of the cavity;
an aperture in a distal end of said cannula; and a flexible needle disposed in said cannula, controlled to provide motion in and out of the aperture;
wherein an exit angle of the aperture is configured to be adjustable with respect to the cannula, within a range of exit angles orthogonal to angle adjustment by rotation of the cannula around the longitudinal axis of the cavity;
wherein the needle presses against an angled distal surface that guides the needle out of the aperture, and the angle of the angled distal surface is adjustable to adjust the exit angle.

2. The robotic device of claim 1 , wherein the exit angle is adjusted by rotation of the aperture.

3. The robotic device of claim 1 , comprising adjustable jaws through which the flexible needle passes, wherein the exit angle of the aperture is adjusted by movement of the jaws.

4. The robotic device of claim 3 , wherein the adjustable jaws comprise a pair of pins.

5. The robotic device of claim 1 , comprising a pulley, wherein the exit angle of the aperture is adjusted by rotation of the pulley.

6. The robotic device of claim 1 , comprising a block through which the flexible needle passes, wherein the exit angle of the aperture is adjusted by rotation of the block.

7. The robotic device of claim 1 , wherein the rotatable element is configured to be mounted on the skull by attachment to a baseplate adapted for mounting on the skull of the subject.

8. The robotic device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible needle has a structure adapted to enable portions of the flexible needle to successively change from straight shape, to a curved shape directed to exit said aperture, and then to restore the straight shape beyond the aperture while continuing said motion out of the aperture to said target region.

9. The robotic device of claim 8 , wherein the range of exit angles includes an angle of about 45° away from the axis of the cavity.

10. The robotic device of claim 8 , wherein the range of exit angles includes an angle of about 90° away from the axis of the cavity.

11. The robotic device of claim 1 , wherein motion of the flexible needle in and out of the aperture is robotically controlled.

12. The robotic device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible needle is configured to be actuated to treat tissue upon movement of the needle out of the aperture.

13. The robotic device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible needle bends from within the cannula to the exit angle through a curvature with a radius of curvature of 3 mm or less.

14. The robotic device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible needle comprises a structure configured to locally weaken as it passes through a curve bending the needle to the exit angle from an angle oriented along the longitudinal axis of the cavity; and then strengthen upon exiting the aperture.

Assignees

• Technion Res & Dev Foundation

Inventors

• Zarrouk David
• Shoham Moshe
• Zaaroor Menashe
• Ziso Hadas

Classifications

• A61B34/10 Primary

  Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations · CPC title

• A61B34/30 Primary

  Surgical robots · CPC title

• A61B90/11

  with guides for needles or instruments, e.g. arcuate slides or ball joints · CPC title

• A61B10/0233

  Pointed or sharp biopsy instruments · CPC title

• A61B2034/2059

  Mechanical position encoders · CPC title